Standard 2: Evaluate the roles, rights and responsibilities of U.S. citizens, and determine methods of active participation in society, government and the political system.

In this lesson, students read portions of Alexander Hamilton: The Outsider by Jean Fritz and will delve into the life and values of Alexander Hamilton, focusing specifically on his embodiment of civic virtue.

Through engaging activities and discussions within the unit, students will gain a deeper understanding of how Hamilton's actions and principles align with the concept of civic virtue and its relationship with contemporary society.

There are three CPALMS lessons that can be used to complement a study of Alexander Hamilton: The Outsider and help students take a new perspective by merging ELA skills with civics knowledge.

This resource uses a book that is on the Florida Department of Education's reading list. This book is not provided with this resource.

Type: Lesson Plan

In this lesson, students will review the support and opposition to the ratification of the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights.

Type: Lesson Plan

Civil Rights Act of 1866 and is a review of Reconstruction. Students will complete an illustrated timeline in this lesson.

Type: Lesson Plan

Students will use new vocabulary to complete a graphic organizer, and differentiate between the Loyalist and Patriot perspectives, and civic virtue as they read Alexander Hamilton: The Outsider by Jean Fritz in this lesson.

There are three CPALMS lessons that can be used to complement a study of Alexander Hamilton: The Outsider and help students take a new perspective by merging ELA skills with civics knowledge.

This resource uses a book that is on the Florida Department of Education's reading list. This book is not provided with this resource.

Type: Lesson Plan

Students will read Chapters 1-6 of Alexander Hamilton: The Outsider by Jean Fritz, and will critically analyze the actions of the Liberty Boys during the Boston Tea Party and develop informed opinions on whether they should be condemned for their act of dumping tea into the water. Students will need to understand that civic virtue is also connected to Alexander Hamilton based on his being a Founder, in that he played a significant role in the founding of the United States.

There are three CPALMS lessons that can be used to complement a study of Alexander Hamilton: The Outsider and help students take a new perspective by merging ELA skills with civics knowledge.

This resource uses a book that is on the Florida Department of Education's reading list. This book is not provided with this resource.

Type: Lesson Plan

Students will identify the differences between classes of citizens based on their choice of transportation and the role of civic and political participation in motivating the revolution of transportation. This is the final lesson in a three-lesson mini-unit on Westward Expansion and civic participation.

Type: Lesson Plan

Students will recognize the difficulties and consequences of westward expansion and understand the importance of civic and political participation in the west.

Type: Lesson Plan

This is lesson #1 in the text unit series for Harper Lee’s, To Kill a Mockingbird, in which students will be able to understand the historical context of the setting and time period in the text and make connections between the novel and real-world events during that era. By the end of this pre-reading lesson, students will be able to understand the historical context of the setting and time period in the text and make connections between the novel and real-world events during that era.

This lesson is part of a larger unit integrating ELA and Civics standards in order to support the understanding through the reading and study of Harper Lee’s novel, To Kill a Mockingbird. This unit’s activities will allow students to connect to the text and explore the blend of historical and literary context as they relate to real-world civic issues, address the application of the Bill of Rights, as well as recognizing the responsibilities of citizens at the local and state level. In this unit, students will develop critical thinking and communication skills by engaging in class discussions, written reflections, and collaborative activities.

This resource uses a book that is on the Florida Department of Education's reading list. This book is not provided with this resource.

Type: Lesson Plan

The 13^th, 14^th, and 15^th Amendments to the United States Constitution are the focus of this lesson. Students will learn the content, intention, and impact of each amendment.

Type: Lesson Plan

This is lesson # 3 of a mini lesson unit.  In this third lesson, students are asked to craft an argumentative essay on the Reconstruction Amendments as a culminating activity for the mini lesson unit.

Type: Lesson Plan

Using their understanding of the Bill of Rights, students will work with various scenarios, newspaper headlines, and other forms of information to identify and apply specific amendments in the Bill of Rights, what rights were violated (if any), and how it applies to current events today. Students will understand how the amendments apply and protect civil liberties and rights in current times.

Type: Lesson Plan

In this lesson plan, students will work in stations to understand how the three Reconstruction Amendments led to expanded opportunities for civic participation.

Type: Lesson Plan

In this lesson plan, students will be introduced to the 13^th, 14^th, and 15^th amendments and begin evaluating them.

Type: Lesson Plan

In this lesson, students will read excerpts from The Declaration of Sentiments and identify underlying foundational ideals of the U.S. government. Students will examine the importance of the Declaration and its impact on the women’s suffrage movement.

Type: Lesson Plan

Using the Bill of Rights, students will delve into the specific language and interpretation of each amendment to gain a deeper understanding of their intended scope and limitations, as well as connect the infringed rights of the colonists to the Amendment created to protect those rights. Using the primary source (Bill of Rights), students will analyze and interpret the amendment in their own words using a graphic organizer.

Type: Lesson Plan

Students will be able to identify the causes for westward expansion and the civic and political motivations for westward expansion.

Type: Lesson Plan

Students will take a journey through the Reconstruction Amendments (13^th, 14^th, 15^th) to determine the importance of citizenship by experiencing an interactive PowerPoint and then take a deep dive into text while writing about Reconstruction and citizenship. Finally, students will create an original visual representation to develop a deeper understanding of both the Reconstruction Amendments and accompanying vocabulary.

Type: Lesson Plan

In this lesson plan, students will determine which minority groups benefited from the post Civil War and Voting Amendments.

Type: Lesson Plan

In this lesson plan, students will be introduced to citizens' rights, responsibilities, and obligations and their real-world relevance to students.

Type: Lesson Plan

In this lesson plan, students will reinforce their understanding of the naturalization process by viewing scenarios of people going through naturalization and using text coding strategies to reinforce the steps they have already learned.

Type: Lesson Plan

In this lesson, students dive further into the political and civic participation of the reconstruction era. The main focus of this mini-unit is to talk about Reconstruction and civic participation. This is Day 3 of 3 (or Lesson 3 of 3) in a mini-unit focusing on Reconstruction.

Type: Lesson Plan

In this lesson, students dive into the political and civic participation of the reconstruction era. This explains the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments and the time period after the Civil War. The main focus of this mini-unit is to talk about Reconstruction and civic participation. This is Day 2 of 3 (or Lesson 2 of 3) in a mini-unit focusing on Reconstruction.

Type: Lesson Plan

In this lesson the teacher will start off unwrapping two benchmarks with the class and showing the connection between both. The lesson will follow with image analyses using images based in the Revolutionary era. Students will use the image analyses to discuss Revolutionary era civic virtues and the influence of citizens and leaders of the time. This is lesson 1 of 3 in a mini unit integrating civics and American History.

Type: Lesson Plan

In this lesson, the students will work in groups to read about major leaders in the Colonial Era as they fill out a graphic organizer on their influence and civic virtue. This is lesson 2 of 3 in a mini-unit integrating civics and American History.

Type: Lesson Plan

In this lesson, students will examine a condensed reading of the Civil War and build their background knowledge. The main focus of this mini-unit is to talk about Reconstruction and civic participation. This is Day 1 of 3 (or Lesson 1 of 3) in a mini-unit focusing on Reconstruction.

Type: Lesson Plan

In this lesson, the teacher will facilitate a philosophical chairs discussion with the whole class on leaders demonstrating civic virtue from the Colonial Era. This is lesson 3 of 3 in a mini-unit integrating civics and American History.

Type: Lesson Plan

In this lesson, students will develop their own amendment to the U.S. Constitution to increase the rights of citizens. This is part of a 3 lesson mini-unit integrating social studies and civics.

Type: Lesson Plan

In this lesson, students will examine the rights protected by the Bill of Rights. This is part of a 3-lesson unit on the Federalists and Anti-Federalists and the Bill of Rights with an integration to civics. 

Type: Lesson Plan

In this lesson, students will learn about the Federalists and Anti-Federalists using primary source documents. This is part of a 3-lesson unit on the Federalists and Anti-Federalists and Bill of Rights.

Type: Lesson Plan

This is lesson #3 in the text unit series for Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird. In this lesson, students will examine the character of Boo Radley and his acts of kindness through the gifts he leaves in a tree, focusing on chapter 7. Students will then write a journal entry, poem, or lyrics to a song from Boo's point of view.

This unit is part of a larger unit integrating ELA and Civics standards in order to support the understanding through the reading and study of Harper Lee’s novel, To Kill a Mockingbird. This unit’s activities will allow students to connect to the text and explore the blend of historical and literary context as they relate to real-world civic issues, address the application of the Bill of Rights, as well as recognizing responsibilities of citizens at the local and state level. In this unit, students will develop critical thinking and communication skills by engaging in class discussions, written reflections, and collaborative activities.

This resource uses a book that is on the Florida Department of Education's reading list. This book is not provided with this resource.

Type: Lesson Plan

This is the final lesson #5 in the text unit series for Harper Lee’s, To Kill a Mockingbird, in which students will complete a culminating writing activity following the completion of the novel by examining provided source material outlining three major real-world court cases from the Civil Rights Movement.

This unit integrates ELA and Civics standards in order to support the understanding through the reading and study of Harper Lee’s novel, To Kill a Mockingbird. This unit’s activities will allow students to connect to the text and explore the blend of historical and literary context as they relate to real-world civic issues. In this unit, students will develop critical thinking and communication skills by engaging in class discussions, written reflections, and collaborative activities.

This resource uses a book that is on the Florida Department of Education's reading list. This book is not provided with this resource.

Type: Lesson Plan

Students will describe the many impositions of King George on the colonists and match some of those to specific amendments in the Bill of rights (i.e., how quartering of troops led directly to the 3^rd Amendment).

Type: Lesson Plan

Students will use prior knowledge of the American Revolution and events leading up to the Declaration of Independence to understand the necessity for a Bill of Rights. The lesson will start with reviewing the events leading to the American Revolution. Students will then examine and analyze excerpts from the viewpoints of the Federalists and Anti-Federalists and determine the meaning of the excerpt in small groups. Using the excerpts, students will create a text message thread in two groups (Federalists vs. Anti-Federalists). As a formative assessment, students will demonstrate their understanding by connecting the viewpoints expressed to the necessity of a Bill of Rights in a short exit ticket.

Type: Lesson Plan

Students will use their endangered species research from Lesson 1 for a flowchart to plan a Scratch animation. The animation will educate citizens about a specific Florida endangered species and how it can be protected. This is lesson 2 of a 3-lesson unit integrating Civics with Computer Science and Coding.

Type: Lesson Plan

This is the final lesson of a 3-lesson unit integrating Civics with Computer Science. Students will create an animation in Scratch to raise awareness of an endangered species in Florida. Research from Lesson 1 and a flowchart plan from Lesson 2 will be applied.

Type: Lesson Plan

This lesson is part 3 in a 3-lesson unit involving Algorithm design and voting rights. In this lesson, students work in pairs to evaluate/redesign their flowcharts (from lesson 1). A block-based program that applies conditional logic to determine voting eligibility based on demographic data is created. The lesson concludes with a short response essay reflecting on the effect of expanding voting rights on American society.

Type: Lesson Plan

This is lesson #4 in the text unit series for Harper Lee’s, To Kill a Mockingbird, which will ask students to identify prevalent themes of chapters 22-31, centered around racial inequity, prejudice, injustice, and empathy. Students will work in small discussion groups to analyze and interpret instances that exemplify their assigned theme within the chapter(s). Once completed, a whole class discussion will allow students to share their findings and interpretations, as well as the connections between the themes, the social issues, and core civic virtues addressed in the novel.

This lesson is part of a larger unit integrating ELA and Civics standards in order to support the understanding through the reading and study of Harper Lee’s novel, To Kill a Mockingbird. This unit’s activities will allow students to connect to the text and explore the blend of historical and literary context as they relate to real-world civic issues, address the application of the Bill of Rights, as well as recognizing the responsibilities of citizens at the local and state level. In this unit, students will develop critical thinking and communication skills by engaging in class discussions, written reflections, and collaborative activities.

This resource uses a book that is on the Florida Department of Education's reading list. This book is not provided with this resource.

Type: Lesson Plan

Students will research basic demographic information about historical figures who were key to the passage of the 15^th and 19^th Amendments. Students will practice their conditional thinking skills by completing two thinking maps designed to reinforce the application of conditional statements. This is lesson 2 of a 3-lesson unit.

Type: Lesson Plan

In this lesson, students will analyze support and opposition for ratification of the Constitution. Additionally, students will be exposed to how the Bill of Rights protects rights of individuals.

Type: Lesson Plan

This is lesson #2 in the text unit series for To Kill a Mockingbird. After reading chapters 1-4, students will do a group read-aloud of the exchange between Scout and her new teacher on her first day of school in chapter 2 of the book. As they read, they will use their question handout to analyze the Freedom of Expression issue that is presented when the teacher finds out that Scout can already read. Students will begin to form opinions on how Scout was treated by her teacher.

This lesson is part of a larger unit integrating ELA and Civics standards in order to support the understanding through the reading and study of Harper Lee’s novel, To Kill a Mockingbird. This unit’s activities will allow students to connect to the text and explore the blend of historical and literary context as they relate to real-world civic issues, address the application of the Bill of Rights, as well as recognizing the responsibilities of citizens at the local and state level. In this unit, students will develop critical thinking and communication skills by engaging in class discussions, written reflections, and collaborative activities.

This resource uses a book that is on the Florida Department of Education's reading list. This book is not provided with this resource.

Type: Lesson Plan

This is part 1 of a 3-part unit that reinforces computational thinking and flowchart design. This unit is also designed to support the understanding of civic participation through the expansion of voting rights throughout U.S. history.

Type: Lesson Plan

Students will use their understanding of the habitability challenges on Mars (developed during Part 1) to create a Martian Bill of Rights that will guarantee civil rights and liberties of future Martian citizens in this integrated lesson plan.  This lesson is Part 2 of 2.

Type: Lesson Plan

In this lesson plan, students will read Sojourner Truth’s "Ain't I a Woman?" speech that was delivered in Akron, Ohio at the 1851 Women’s Rights Convention. Students will analyze two distinct central ideas that emerge in her speech. They will identify textual evidence within the speech that supports each central idea. Students will also read and study the Preamble to the U.S. Constitution in order to make connections between the two texts.

Type: Lesson Plan

Lesson 1 of a mini-unit integrating Civics with Computer Science. Students identify the differences between national and Florida state laws regulating endangered species. Students select a specific Florida endangered species, research threats, population changes, and relevant local laws protecting it. The third lesson produces a Scratch animation related to the chosen species.

Type: Lesson Plan

In this lesson, students will read Sojourner Truth’s “Ain’t I a Woman?” speech, delivered in 1851 to men and women attending the Women’s Rights Convention in Akron, Ohio. Students will analyze how the use of rhetorical appeals, specifically ethos, helps Truth establish and achieve her purpose. Students will describe how this use of ethos supports Truth’s purpose to persuade Americans to support equal voting rights, especially for women, citing text evidence when appropriate.

Students will complete text-dependent questions to clarify their comprehension of the speech. In addition, they will make connections between Truth’s speech and the foundational principles expressed in an excerpt from the Declaration of Independence.

Type: Lesson Plan

In this lesson plan, students will compare and contrast ("spot the difference") between Paul Revere’s famous “Bloody Massacre” engraving and the original print from his friend and colleague and answer a series of critical thinking/discussion questions. They will then read written accounts of the event and draw conclusions about key areas of creative license taken. Finally, students will create their own interpretation of the Boston Massacre: either a rewriting of the event using modern language (tell a friend what happened!) or a drawing of their own.

Type: Lesson Plan

In this lesson, students will explore how the 14th Amendment establishes citizenship. Students will also learn how the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments reflect their Reconstruction-era context.

Type: Lesson Plan

In this lesson plan, students will use primary sources to determine how the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments expanded the right to vote and participate in the political process for African Americans.

Type: Lesson Plan

In this lesson, students will read about the aftermath of the French and Indian War, acts passed by Great Britain, and the Boston Massacre. Students will answer questions as they read the passage and analyze the cause and effect of British policies and colonist reactions leading up to the Revolutionary War. 

Type: Lesson Plan

In this lesson, students will be analyze, describe and explain the meaning and purpose of each amendment in the Bill of Rights and how the Bill of Rights affects citizens and the government.

Type: Lesson Plan

In this lesson plan, students will compare the responsibilities of citizens at local, state and federal levels.

Type: Lesson Plan

In this lesson, students will review the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments and analyze how they expanded opportunities for civic and political participation for African Americans.   

Type: Lesson Plan

In this lesson plan, students will read and compare the Florida Constitutions of 1838 and 1868.

Type: Lesson Plan

In this lesson, students will recognize the views of the Federalists and Anti-Federalists on adding the Bill of Rights to the U.S. Constitution. Students will evaluate primary source excerpts from the Federalist and Anti-Federalist papers and explain which perspective each provides.

Type: Lesson Plan

In this lesson plan, students will read and analyze the 14th Amendment of the Constitution, along with background information on Frederick Douglass.

Type: Lesson Plan

In this lesson plan, students will review and make connections between the Bill of Rights, their lives, and the past debates on the ratification of the U.S. Constitution.  

Type: Lesson Plan

Students will begin this lesson by creating a social media post regarding the Anti-Federalists.  They will then collaborate by working in different roles that dissect the text and meaning of the Bill of Rights.  Students will share out their information with the group and then complete a quick write.

Type: Lesson Plan

In this lesson, students will review influential individuals and groups, and evaluate their influence on social and political developments during Westward Expansion in early America.   

Type: Lesson Plan

In this lesson, students will review influential individuals and their influence on social and political developments during the Women’s Suffrage and abolitionist movements in America.

Type: Lesson Plan

In this lesson, students will engage in a whole class discussion about citizenship from colonial times through Reconstruction.  Students will then collaborate to analyze excerpts from two primary documents.  Ultimately, students will create a "mindmap" to represent what they learned about U.S. citizenship.

Type: Lesson Plan

In this lesson, students will review the contributions of the Founders during the American Revolution.

Type: Lesson Plan

In this lesson, students will review influential individuals and groups, and their influence on social and political developments during the colonial period and the American Revolution.  

Type: Lesson Plan

In this lesson, students will review influential groups and their civic and political participation during the Revolutionary War by completing a gallery walk and graphic organizer.

Type: Lesson Plan

In this lesson plan, students will explore the lives of citizens and leaders from the Colonial period through Reconstruction in order to analyze the role of civic virtue in broader American society during the antebellum period.

Type: Lesson Plan

In this lesson plan, students will learn about the Reconstruction era voting rights amendments that expanded civic participation. Students will read and analyze the 13th, 14th and 15th Amendments culminating in a closing discussion.

Type: Lesson Plan

Students will explore trends in voter turnout during the early 20th century, create a line graph to represent voter turnout data, and make comparisons to draw conclusions about the impact of the 19th Amendment, in this integrated lesson plan.

Type: Lesson Plan

In this lesson plan, students will evaluate how amendments to the U.S. Constitution expanded opportunities for civic participation through Reconstruction.

Type: Lesson Plan

This lesson is meant to engage students in critical thinking about their rights within the Bill of Rights through image analysis and dicussion. Students will collectively rank their evaluation of the most important rights in our nation. 

Type: Lesson Plan

In this lesson plan, students will create and compare a scatterplot and line graph to determine which is the most appropriate representation of voter turnout and voting age population data from past presidential elections. Students will use both graphs to explore how the Reconstruction Amendments broadened the opportunity for civic participation.

Type: Lesson Plan

Students will investigate current and potential impacts of the space program on citizens of Florida, relating this to the responsibilities of citizens to be informed and vote to influence tax-funded government programs. They will research the impact of NASA on the economy and ecosystems of Florida and weigh pros and cons of funding a program aimed at exploring Mars. Students will take a position and develop a commercial to convince the public to vote for or against funding this program in this integrated lesson plan.

Type: Lesson Plan

Learn the characteristics of the archetype of The Hero, compare the hero archetype with American heroes, and identify how the archetype characteristics and American hero characteristics connect to elements of the Bill of Rights in this interactive tutorial.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Learn more about Reconstruction and the amendments to the U.S. Constitution passed during the Reconstruction era with this interactive tutorial.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Learn more about the abolition movement, the women's suffrage movement, and the role Sojourner Truth played with this interactive tutorial.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Learn more about the abolition movement, the women's suffrage movement, and Lucretia Mott's civic participation in this interactive student tutorial.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Learn about the civic and political participation of some of the Founders, including George Washington, Alexander Hamilton, and James Madison, with this interactive tutorial.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Learn the historical arguments for and against the ratification of the U.S. Constitution with this interactive civics tutorial. 

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Learn about the history of the women's suffrage movement and the important role that Elizabeth Cady Stanton played in the women's suffrage movement in this interactive tutorial. 

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Learn how women displayed civic and political participation during Colonial times and in the Revolutionary War with this interactive tutorial. 

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Learn about the Women's Suffrage Movement and Susan B. Anthony's life and role in the movement to grant all women the right to vote, in this interactive tutorial. 

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Learn about the Lewis and Clark Expedition, including why they explored, who was involved, and how it shaped America. In this interactive tutorial, you'll also learn about examples of civic virtue on the expedition. 

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Learn how important Colonial leaders demonstrated civic and political participation during the Revolutionary War and Colonial America with this interactive tutorial. 

Type: Original Student Tutorial

In this interactive tutorial, explore several landmark cases of the Supreme Court to see how the Court's decisions have impacted the rights of individuals and society throughout American history.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

In this interactive tutorial hosted by "Bill" O. Rights, learn in great detail about the five freedoms guaranteed by the First Amendment: religion, speech, press, assembly, and petition.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

In this interactive tutorial, learn about six important amendments to the U.S. Constitution. These amendments ended slavery, ensured equal rights for all citizens, and guaranteed voting rights to women, African Americans, and other minority groups.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

In this interactive tutorial, learn about the rights, obligations, and responsibilities of American citizenship.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Simulate the experience of serving on a jury and deciding a case in this interactive tutorial. Learn all about trial by jury and why it's such an important part of our society, as well as an obligation of citizenship.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

In this interactive tutorial, analyze all 10 Amendments that make up the Bill of Rights in the U.S. Constitution. You'll learn not only about the rights and freedoms guaranteed by each, but also the limits of those rights.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Learn all about citizenship in the United States of America: what citizenship is, why some Americans have citizenship from birth, and how others became U.S. citizens through a process called naturalization with this interactive tutorial.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

This Grade 8 Civics Family Guide provides some ideas and activities to support civics education when at home, out and about, and in the community. The activities provided align to the civics learning benchmarks within Standard 2 at this grade level.

Type: Teaching Idea

In this source analysis activity, students will examine the Reconstruction Amendments: 13,14,15.    After careful examination of the 3 amendments they will look at political cartoons from the time period to see reactions to Reconstruction. 

Type: Teaching Idea

This Tic Tac Toe activity is intended to allow students the opportunity to demonstrate their understanding of the Bill of Rights and to explore the impacts of rights and liberties. 

Type: Teaching Idea

This teaching resource provides the tools to help students analyze the use of figurative language in an 1853 speech by Sojourner Truth. Students will specifically examine her skillful use of imagery throughout the speech. Students will analyze how Truth uses imagery at key points in her speech to express her message and achieve her purpose (below). Students will also gain a deeper understanding of this speech and why it was a significant act of civic participation.

Type: Text Resource

This teaching resource provides teachers with guidelines to help students analyze the speech delivered by Sojourner Truth, during the period leading up to women’s suffrage. The speech contains many rhetorical questions that connect with her emotional appeal (utilizing pathos) that students will think critically about.

Type: Text Resource

Alejandro Brice and his family immigrated from Cuba at the beginning of the Cuban Revolution. His father was jailed as a counter-revolutionary sympathizer and upon release, the family fled the country. Dr. Brice shares his memories of his “freedom wings”, the culture shock of growing up in Ohio as immigrants, learning English in elementary school, watching his family start over, and becoming a U.S. Citizen. Dr. Brice is a college professor specializing in the education of immigrant children and English language learners.

Type: Video/Audio/Animation

Ivonne Blank immigrated to the United States in 1961 as part of Operation Pedro Pan, the largest exodus on unaccompanied minors in the Western Hemisphere. Ms. Blank talks about how difficult it was waiting for her parents and living in an orphanage in Denver, CO. Her parents later left the island by boat, were rescued by the Coast Guard, and resettled in the United States. After the family was reunited, they were able to rebuild their lives with support from their community. Ms. Blank went on to become a lifelong educator and U.S. citizen.

Type: Video/Audio/Animation

Luis Martínez-Fernández was born at the beginning of the Cuban Revolution. Dr. Martínez-Fernández immigrated to the United States with his family when he was 2 years old after the Bay of Pigs Invasion. His family moved to Lima, Peru after his father was offered employment there. Dr. Martínez-Fernández’s family left Peru after the President of Peru was ousted from power. The new government in Peru concerned Dr. Martínez-Fernández’s father and the family moved to Puerto Rico where they become U.S. Citizens. Dr. Martínez-Fernández moved to the U.S. after graduation from The University of Puerto Rico. He is a Professor of History, an author, and is civically engaged through his nationally syndicated column.

Type: Video/Audio/Animation